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The facts and fictions of student debt

Stories all over the news have identified a new crisis in the United States: student debt. They say debt is crushing college students, topping $1 trillion dollars overall. That’s more than both credit card and auto loans; it’s second only to mortgages.

Yet our guest this week says that scary trillion-dollar number isn’t what we should focus on.

Baum says loans provide access to college for students who couldn’t other wise afford it. Instead of dismissing debt out of hand, every student should evaluate what kind of higher education is worth it for them.

A get-tough attitude prevailed among educators in the 1980s and 1990s, but research shows that zero-tolerance policies don't make schools safer and lead to disproportionate discipline for students of color.